On August 27, 2020, 24 months after the contract was signed, the official completion of the construction and commissioning of the Communication Center in Kielce took place. The investor of the modernization and reconstruction of the characteristic Bus Station at 12 Czarnowska Street is the Public Transport Authority.
Budimex has completed work on the construction of the Communication Centre in Kielce. The modern and functional transport hub will serve public transport carriers, buses, long-distance and international buses. The facility will also serve as a center for meetings and cultural and entertainment events.
– We are glad that we have completed another important infrastructure investment that will contribute to increasing the comfort of travelers. As always, we took care of the high quality of the project and made it with attention to every detail – says Dariusz Blocher, President of the Management Board, CEO of Budimex. – The facility itself has become unique on a global scale. It is worth noting here that the station has retained its original and unique character – explains Barbara Damian, Director of ZTM Kielce.
Historic railway station
Preserving the original appearance of the station was the main task of the general contractor, who was responsible for renovating the building, while maintaining its characteristic saucer shape. Budimex took care of historical details – the inscription “station” and several elements of skylights were reproduced and placed in their original place. The original elements were donated to the Museum “Poland on Wheels” in Busko Zdrój.
The project also included demolition, reconstruction of the passenger information system and reconstruction of existing platforms. – Over 105 km of cables and wires and about 2700 pieces of lighting fixtures have been laid throughout the facility, which are controlled depending on the needs of passenger service, time of day or passenger traffic. – says Grzegorz Tomporowski, construction manager of the Culture Centre in Kielce. – One of the most modern solutions are electrochromic glazing built into the façades, each with an area of about 9 sqm. They were imported specifically from the United States, and their software comes from a Swiss technology company – adds Grzegorz Tomporowski.
On average, over 100 people worked on the construction of the Centre every day, and over 180 subcontractors were involved in the implementation of the investment. Over the last few months, finishing works have been carried out – decorative elements have been installed on the roofs of all levels of the bus station, floors and small architecture objects inside the station and on the square in front of the building. The usable area of the structure is 3,577 sq m.
– In the building of the new station, barriers have been eliminated and spaces friendly to people with disabilities have been created. The facility is equipped m.in. wheelchair ramps, elevators, presentation of passenger information by means of graphic, sound and tactile transmission. All these facilities are designed to stimulate the mobility of people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility, to such an extent that they want to use the transport infrastructure to the same extent as non-disabled people do – explains Barbara Damian, Director of ZTM Kielce.
Virtual reality
A multimedia library was also created in the Communication Center – the so-called VR ZONE, which has been equipped with 9 stations with properly configured m.in devices. game consoles. All passengers of the station can take advantage of the attractions. In addition, travelers can use the Media Library, which is a branch of the Municipal Public Library in Kielce. The multimedia library is the most modern facility of this type in the region. The Communication Centre is a key investment for the city, which will significantly contribute to the improvement and smoothness of passenger traffic.
